


I wasn’t looking for love (but she found me)

by seaunicorn



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Bible Camp, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Summer Camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23301052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaunicorn/pseuds/seaunicorn
Summary: The thing about Bible Camp was that Alyssa was the only person from Edgewater who ever went. So why was Emma Nolan standing in front of the archway, alone, looking around in confusion?Emma Nolan, aka the girl that Alyssa Greene had a hopeless crush on at school.Their eyes met, and Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat. She lost track of what she was doing and as she was walking, slipped on a pine cone and fell face forward into the dirt.
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 137





	I wasn’t looking for love (but she found me)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you SJAandDWfan for helping me edit this monster last night and anyone else who helped me with ideas/camp shit!
> 
> CW for Jesus shit and mild mentions of homophobia/abuse.

Alyssa Greene sat in the passenger seat of her mother’s car, the familiar thrill of excitement bubbling up in her chest as they drove further and further away from her hometown Edgewater. She kept quiet and tuned out her mother’s rambling as she stared out the window, watching the open countryside turn into sparse forest, growing thicker as they drove further into it.

It was a familiar drive to Zion Lake Christian Bible Camp. Alyssa had attended every summer since she was eleven years old. Camp wasn’t so bad. It was nice to get out of Edgewater and away from everyone she knew, away from her mother.

While Veronica Greene was well meaning, she could be extremely overbearing. Alyssa liked having six weeks out of the year where she didn’t have to watch what she ate or who she spoke with. She didn’t have to work herself into the ground with schoolwork and extra curriculars. It was one time a year when Alyssa Greene didn’t have to be perfect.

Alyssa was excited to see her camp friends again. Even if they only ever saw each other this one time a year and never really talked to each other outside of camp, it was always fun to be reunited for a little bit. Her summers were filled with fond memories with her friends, staying up past curfew, sharing idle gossip, talking about which boys they thought were cute.

Alyssa never participated in that last bit.

If anyone ever questioned why she didn’t think any of the boys at camp were cute, Alyssa would just offhandedly mention that she had a crush on someone back home. Her friends all thought it was sweet that Alyssa was so smitten for this one guy that she didn’t even think about anybody else. Sometimes they pressed her for more information, but Alyssa never shared much, hoping no one would put together that the person she had a hopeless crush on back home was a girl.

“Did you remember to pack sunscreen?”

The sound of her mother’s voice jolted Alyssa out of her reverie. A brief panic stirred inside her until she realized, or at least hoped, that her mother couldn’t read her mind. She leaned back from the window and turned her head. “Huh?”

Veronica sighed. “Are you even listening to me? Sunscreen? Did you pack it?”

Alyssa suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, mom,” she said. “Not like I need it anyway.”

Her mother glared at her. “Everyone needs sunscreen. You got burnt that day we visited your cousins by Lake Michigan.”

“That was because I fell asleep at the beach,” Alyssa mumbled, embarrassed.

“Now, sweetie, I’m not going to be here to look out for you all month. You know this. I want you to promise me you’ll be responsible and make good choices and _wear sunscreen!”_

Alyssa sighed, but she knew that her mom wasn’t going to drop it until she agreed. “Yes, mom.”

“Good.” She glanced up at the road ahead of them and pointed out the sign for Zion Lake Christian Bible Camp. “We’re here,” she said with an excited squeal.

The parking lot was filled with cars, families dropping off their kids, hugging goodbye, kissing foreheads, dragging luggage toward the cabins.

They pulled into an open parking spot and Alyssa leapt out of the car the moment it stopped. She went to the back, opened it, and grabbed her suitcase. She was all ready to go by the time her mom had joined her at the back of the car.

“Do you want me to get you checked in?” she asked.

Alyssa shook her head. “I’ll be okay. I’ve done this before and they know me here.”

“I know, I know,” her mom sniffled. “I’m just going to miss you so much, superstar.” She threw her arms around Alyssa and pulled her in for a hug.

“I’ll miss you too,” Alyssa mumbled into her mother’s shoulder, face pressed into the pastel blazer . Veronica held on tight hugging her daughter goodbye, and Alyssa was stuck there, unable to move. “Mom, I can’t breathe.”

Finally, her mother let go and took a step back. She cupped Alyssa’s cheeks and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She pressed her lips to the top of Alyssa’s head. “I love you, Alyssa.”

“Love you, mom.”

Alyssa dragged her suitcase behind her up to the curb. She watched as her mother got into the car, and waved goodbye as she drove away.

Once her mom had disappeared from sight, Alyssa slumped her shoulders, finally able to relax. She turned around and began to walk toward the check-in tables to get her cabin assignment for this year, but caught sight of an unexpected familiar face.

The thing about Bible Camp was that Alyssa was the only person from Edgewater who ever went. So why was Emma Nolan standing in front of the archway, alone, looking around in confusion?

Emma Nolan, aka the girl that Alyssa Greene had a hopeless crush on at school.

Their eyes met, and Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat. She lost track of what she was doing and as she was walking, slipped on a pine cone and fell face forward into the dirt.

“Oh my god!” Alyssa heard the sound of footsteps, and by the time she found her bearings and opened her eyes, Emma Nolan was standing over her, looking down in concern. “Are you okay?”

Alyssa gaped for a moment, then nodded dumbly. “I—I’m fine.” Alyssa stayed on the ground for a moment, still staring up at Emma in shock, and Emma awkwardly grinned down at Alyssa.

“Oh, um, here.” Emma stuck out her hand. Alyssa took it and stood to her feet.

“Thanks.”

“What, uh… what happened there?” Emma asked with an awkward chuckle.

Alyssa shook her head and looked down at her feet, blushing. “I was just… surprised to see you, is all. What are you doing here? You’ve never—I mean— _no one_ from Edgewater is ever here. No one’s really lining up to come to Zion Lake Christian Bible Camp.”

“Oh,” Emma’s face fell. “I, uh—yeah, it’s new. I think my parents just wanted me out of their hair for a bit.” She shrugged, looking down at the ground. She seemed suddenly tense and uncomfortable, but Alyssa didn’t want to pry.

She and Emma weren’t close by any definition of the word. They had a handful of passing conversations at school; Emma used to be friends with Alyssa’s friend Kaylee, though the two didn’t speak much anymore, and last year when Alyssa accidentally blew up peanut brittle in chemistry class, Emma let Alyssa borrow an extra shirt she had in her locker.

But Emma wasn’t around much between classes. She never went to parties. She didn’t even sit in the cafeteria at lunch. She wasn’t exactly popular by James Madison standards and mostly kept to herself, but she always had a smile for Alyssa whenever they passed by each other in the halls or met eyes across the classroom, a smile that always seemed to light up the entire world around her.

They had never spoken much, but maybe this summer would be Alyssa’s chance to get to know Emma, actually be friends with her.

Alyssa smiled, ignoring the flutter in her chest when Emma returned with a radiant grin of her own. “Well, since you’re new I can take you to check in? Maybe show you around later?”

Emma’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Yeah,” she nodded. “Yes. Thanks.”

Alyssa tilted her head in the direction of the mess hall. “This way,” she said, and stepped ahead of Emma. They walked together, Emma clutching her duffel bag in front of her, while Alyssa dragged her suitcase behind her. “You know, usually I like getting away from everybody in town for the summer but… it’s good to see you here.”

Emma gave her a sideways smile. “Yeah?” Alyssa nodded. “I was actually pretty nervous to come here, but a friendly face helps.”

“Well everybody here is really nice,” Alyssa said. “I know Bible camp probably isn’t exactly where you wanted to be this summer, but aside from the Bible study and all the group prayers, it’s actually kinda fun.”

They stopped in front of the double doors to the mess hall, and Emma turned to look at her. “You promise you’ll show me the ropes?”

Alyssa nodded. “I promise.”

She pushed the door and stepped through, holding it open for Emma to follow behind her. They got checked in and Alyssa tried to hide her excitement when they were assigned to the same cabin. The number of girls her age still attending camp was dwindling year by year, so there couldn’t be more than one or two cabins for the lot of them. Still, she was glad to have an excuse to spend more time with Emma.

“We’re in the Mary Magdalene cabin,” Alyssa said as they walked up the hill. “Honestly, everyone hopes to get assigned this cabin because it’s right on the edge of the forest, up the hill, further away from all the other cabins. It’s the little bit of freedom we can get.”

Emma didn’t say anything, so Alyssa turned to look at her, curious. She had fallen a few paces behind Alyssa, huffing and puffing, trying to catch her breath.

“Sorry.” Alyssa slowed down so she was no longer power walking up the hill. “It’s a bit of a trek. You’ll probably get used to it after a few days.”

“I hope so,” Emma huffed.

Emma was quiet for most of the trip up the hill, struggling with the long uphill climb, so Alyssa filled the silence with a bit of chatter, explaining things about camp, pointing out different buildings and landmarks. It was only a few minutes walk, but by the time they finally reached their cabin, Emma looked exhausted, a bit of sweat on her forehead.

“Lucky for you the first day is pretty chill,” Alyssa explained, walking up the steps toward the door. “It’s just check-in and unpacking until dinner so you’ve got time to rest.”

“Oh, thank god.”

Alyssa pushed open the door and her ears were immediately met with a high-pitched squeal. “ALLY!”

A pair of arms flung around her, and while Alyssa didn’t even see more than a blur, she knew it was her camp friend Natalie. Alyssa laughed and hugged her friend. While they embraced, Emma walked past them into the room and met Alyssa’s eyes.

 _Ally?_ she mouthed to Alyssa, a curious smile on her face.

Alyssa just shrugged. Most of her camp friends knew her as Ally. Obviously they knew her name was Alyssa, but camp was always about being a different version of yourself, so when Alyssa was eleven years old she tried to reinvent herself as Ally, and it stuck. Nowadays, rarely anyone at camp called her Alyssa.

Their hug ended and Alyssa couldn’t help the splitting grin on her face. “Hey!” she squealed.

“Oh my god, you look so good! Sophomore year was good to you!”

“I can’t believe it’s been a whole year!”

“Did you see Linda down there?”

“No, I don’t think she’s here yet.”

“Well I did spot Noah as I was checking in and—”

“Oh my god, did you ever talk after he kissed you last year?”

“No!”

Alyssa was so caught up in seeing an old friend again that for a split second, she completely forgot about Emma until she caught sight of her awkwardly shuffling toward an empty bed, a frown on her face.

“Wait,” Alyssa stopped herself. “I’m sorry, I’m so rude. Nat, this is Emma! She’s new this year.”

Natalie turned around, finally noticing Emma in the room. Emma looked nervous, but gave her a smile and an awkward wave. “Hi,” she said.

Emma’s nerves seemed to ease when Natalie returned her grin and rushed forward to hug her. “Welcome! Are you a friend of Ally’s?”

Emma’s eyes went wide, and Alyssa realized they weren’t exactly close. Honestly, Alyssa wasn’t even sure if she and Emma were really friends, but she wasn’t the one on the spot right now. She gave Emma a reassuring nod, and Emma seemed to relax.

“Yeah,” Emma muttered. “Yeah, I guess we’re friends.”

“We go to school together,” Alyssa explained.

“No way!” Natalie exclaimed. “That’s so crazy! Well I’m Natalie, but you can call me Nat.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Nat,” Emma laughed.

“I hope you have a ton of embarrassing stories about Ally to share.”

“No, she—”

“Well, there was this chemistry class back in January when _Ally_ blew up some peanut brittle…”

“Oh my _god!”_ Natalie gasped. She grabbed Emma by the shoulders and sat them both down onto a bed. “Please. Tell me more.”

Emma glanced up at Alyssa and gave an innocent shrug of her shoulders. Alyssa just shook her head and laughed. At least Emma was quickly making friends here at camp.

* * *

Slowly through the rest of the afternoon, the rest of the girls in their cabin trickled inside. Alyssa introduced Emma to Linda, Carrie, and Hayden. Eventually one of the camp counselors, Kimberly, stopped by to tell them it was almost time for the camp welcome dinner. The whole group of girls began their trek back down the hill toward the mess hall.

Emma strayed to the back of the group, away from the group of friends chatting amiably, catching up after a year apart, and Alyssa found herself drifting to the back towards Emma as well.

“How are you doing?” Alyssa asked, nudging Emma gently with her elbow.

“Uh, a little overwhelmed, to be honest,” Emma admitted. “But you were right, everyone is really nice.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot of people to meet at once. And even more people at dinner and the campfire tonight.”

Emma’s eyes widened nervously. “Campfire?”

“Yeah, there’s an opening campfire and then one every Friday. Everyone gathers to roast marshmallows and sing Christian songs. It’s great.” Alyssa’s voice was laced with sarcasm and Emma chuckled.

“Well, the marshmallows don’t sound so bad,” Emma said. They were quiet for a moment. Emma glanced ahead, seeing how far away the others were. A good distance had grown between the two groups. “You know, you’ve really surprised me today,” she muttered.

“What do you mean?” Alyssa asked with a frown.

“No, I mean, good surprised,” Emma clarified. “Just… I always thought you were like, the perfect, popular kid, you know? Your mom’s pretty active at the church, right?”

Alyssa nodded in understanding, a little sad. She knew she had a bit of a reputation at school, but she didn’t think Emma would have been one to buy into it. “Yeah, she’s involved in the ministry office. I guess because of that she has these certain… expectations of me. And I have to live up to them or she gets mad, and because of her I guess I have that sort of good girl prude reputation at school.”

“No, that’s— that’s not what I meant,” Emma said quickly. “I just, I guess I thought you’d be a little more like your mom. Super religious and stuff.”

Alyssa scuffed her shoe in the dirt. She loved her mom, she really did. But her mom was harsh and judgmental and set in her ways, and she made herself known to everyone in Edgewater. As Emma watched her in silence, Alyssa felt more at ease than she ever did with any of her other friends.

“I’m not like my mom,” she said. “She expects a lot out of me, and I do my best to not disappoint her, but I’m my own person. I guess everyone at school probably just sees me as my mother’s daughter. But trust me, I hate singing Christian rock just as much as the next kid who’s forced to come here every summer.”

Emma laughed. “Well, I like this Alyssa Greene,” she said with a shrug. Alyssa’s heart fluttered and her cheeks flushed. She looked to Emma at her side and gave her a small smile. “Or should I say Ally?” Emma added, teasing.

Alyssa shoved her playfully. “Oh, shut up,” she laughed. “I started coming here when I was eleven and I wanted to _reinvent myself._ I still can’t believe the nickname stuck this long.”

“Do you want me to call you Ally or Alyssa?”

Alyssa thought about it for a moment, then scrunched her nose in distaste. “Ally would be weird. I like it when you call me Alyssa,” she said offhandedly, then blushed. “I just mean— um, you already know me as— I don’t see a point in—“

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain anything,” Emma chuckled. The ground beneath their feet leveled out and Alyssa looked up. They were approaching the crowded mess hall. She glanced at Emma who gave her a dorky grin. “And I kinda like that I’m the only one here who gets to call you Alyssa.”

Alyssa blushed again, but she didn’t even get a chance to respond because they had reached the crowd and were quickly ushered into the mess hall. She wouldn’t have even known what to say anyway.

The cacophony of voices filled her ears as she stepped inside. It was mindless chatter, excited squeals, raucous laughter. Emma looked immediately tense as they walked inside, so Alyssa made sure to stick close by her side, and this seemed to ease a bit of her stress.

The girls all filed inside and found the table where the rest of the campers their age had gathered, hugging and chatting. Alyssa caught sight of Marcus who waved her over, one open spot at the table next to him, and Alyssa tried not to roll her eyes. Marcus had spent the entirety of last summer flirting with her, and if he didn’t get it by now, Alyssa didn’t know how to tell him she wasn’t interested.

She waved to him, but instead of sitting down next to him, she found a place across the table that had enough room for her and Emma to sit side by side.

“Ally! It’s so good to see you!”

“Marcus,” Alyssa nodded.

“How’ve you been this year?” Marcus asked.

“Good,” Alyssa dismissed. “Have you met my friend Emma? She’s new this year. We go to school together.”

“No we haven’t—“

Their conversation was cut short (much to Alyssa’s relief) by a loud high pitched sound coming from the speakers. Everyone winced and covered their ears. The sound quieted, then there were a few taps at a microphone, and the camp director’s voice echoed through the room.

“Welcome everyone to another year at Zion Lake Christian Bible Camp! I am your camp director, Luke O’Brien, and we are so excited to have all you new and returning campers! We have a lot of activities and adventures and worship planned for your summer. Now, I’m sure you’re all hungry so I’ll keep things brief. If you’d all join hands as we pray…”

Right. Alyssa had forgotten about this part. Emma looked at her curiously. Alyssa just shrugged and held out her hand.

Looking back she couldn’t recall a single word Luke O’Brien had said because she was too enraptured by Emma’s hand in hers, and how right it felt.

Alyssa made a mental note to try and sit next to Emma as often as possible.

* * *

After dinner, everyone at camp made their way to the campfire pit down by the lake. The sun had gone down, the crickets were chirping, everyone was tired from a long day of travel and a filling dinner of sloppy joes, but the energy at the campfire was still full of excitement for the summer to come.

_“Our God is an awesome God, he reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love…”_

One of the counselors, Blake, a lanky guy with thick hair down to his shoulders that looked like it hadn’t been washed in about a week, sat at the front by the fire, playing guitar as he sang. The other counselors sang along as well, gesturing for all the campers to join in.

The only ones who actually did were the younger kids.

Alyssa sat in the last row, sandwiched between Emma and Carrie as she struggled to put together a s’more on her lap. Natalie was on the other side of Emma, and Noah was all over her. They thought they weren’t being too obvious about it. They were wrong. Noah’s arm was around Natalie’s shoulder as he whispered into her ear and she giggled like a giddy schoolgirl with a hand on his leg.

Alyssa wasn’t sure if she had ever seen Emma so visibly uncomfortable, looking straight ahead at the campfire. “Enrapturing campfire, isn’t it?” Alyssa joked, nudging Emma in the side.

“Huh?” Emma blinked.

“Sorry about them,” Alyssa whispered, nodding her head toward Natalie and Noah canoodling on the bench. “Nat’s had a crush on him for like three years.”

Emma shook her head. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be rude,” she muttered. “I just— I’m not super comfortable with PDA.”

“Hey, they’re the ones being weird,” Alyssa said. “Hopefully they don’t keep it up all summer.”

Emma chuckled. “Yeah, hopefully.”

Alyssa broke her s’more in two and offered one half to Emma. “Here. Just ignore them.”

“Thanks.” Emma gave her a small smile as she took the treat from Alyssa’s hand. Their fingers brushed briefly and Alyssa felt her heart flutter in her chest. She looked down, fighting the blush on her cheeks.

The younger campers cheered as the song ended. The older campers were despondent. Blake started playing another song on guitar.

Alyssa cleared her throat. “So, um, you play guitar, right?” She glanced over at Emma who looked at her with eyes wide and a mouth full of marshmallow and graham cracker, chewing furiously so she could reply.

“How’d you know?” Emma asked, finally.

“Thanksgiving assembly, freshman year.”

“Oh, god,” Emma groaned. “You remember that?”

“Of course! You were really good!”

“I’m sure everyone else at school would disagree with that.”

“Well then they’re wrong.”

Emma raised her eyebrows in surprise. She was speechless, looking at Alyssa. After a beat of awkward silence, she took another bite of s’more to busy herself. Her cheeks were flushed red under the glow of the campfire, the warm summer breeze ruffled her short blonde curls, and as she finished her s’more, there was a bit of sticky marshmallow goo sticking to the corner of her lips.

Alyssa fought the urge to reach out and swipe her thumb against Emma’s mouth to clean it off. Instead she clenched her fists and cleared her throat. “Um, you’ve got a little…” she gestured vaguely to the corner of her own mouth, hoping Emma would get the idea.

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Emma blushed and quickly wiped away the marshmallow remnants.

They sat in an awkward silence through the rest of the next song, the sound of children singing gospel praises making Alyssa even more on edge than she already was. The song ended, and a moment later, another one started up.

“That is one thing I’m gonna miss this summer.”

Alyssa turned to Emma, looking at her curiously. “What?” she asked.

“Playing guitar. It’s not like I could bring mine out here.”

“Maybe you could talk to Blake.”

“Huh?”

“Well, maybe he could teach you to play some of the songs. There was an older camper a few years ago who always played guitar at the campfires. And hey, they might like a first time camper taking initiative to participate.”

“You want me to play… church music?”

Alyssa shrugged. “I know it’s not probably your first choice, but at least you’d be playing something, yeah?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re—“

“God, lame music, am I right Ally?” Marcus interrupted Emma, turning around from his spot on the bench in front of them.

“It’s the same songs they make us sing every year.” Alyssa shrugged, dismissive. Marcus didn’t seem to get the hint. She glanced over at Emma, who was suddenly very interested in a bug on the ground between her shoes.

“So how was your year?” Marcus asked. “We never got a chance to catch up earlier.”

“Oh, really? What a shame.”

“Yeah, it’s kinda loud out here. Do you maybe wanna catch up after the campfire?”

Alyssa’s eyes grew wide. Shoot, this guy really won’t quit, will he? “I don’t think so,” she answered quickly. “I’m pretty beat. I’ll probably just turn in after this.”

“Oh, yeah, no, totally,” Marcus said, swiping his wild hair back in an attempt to be suave. “We’ve got all summer, right?”

Alyssa was saved from having to answer him by another round of applause as the song ended, and then it seemed like the campfire was wrapping up. Alyssa faked a yawn and linked her arm through Emma’s as she stood up, dragging Emma to her feet as well.

“Well, I guess we should get back to our cabin! Early morning with the reflection hike and all. Night, Marcus!” She tapped Natalie on top of the head as she passed her by to get her attention. “Okay, lovebirds, campfire’s over.”

Natalie giggled and Noah gave her a quick kiss on the cheek when none of the counselors were looking. “Walk with me on the reflection hike tomorrow?” Noah asked.

Natalie nodded. “Goodnight.” She slowly backed away, holding his hand until he was out of reach.

They walked back to their cabin, the other girls joining them.

“So, Emma, how was your first day?” Carrie asked

Emma shrugged. “Oh, you know, it was...great! Everyone is… great.”

Linda laughed. “Don’t worry, you’ll figure out how things work around here soon enough.”

“What about you, Nat?” Hayden asked. “I saw you and Noah back there. So you guys finally talked?”

“Not so much _talked,_ but I’m not complaining.” The girls all laughed, and Emma fell into step with Alyssa who was lingering behind.

Alyssa bumped Emma’s shoulder. “Okay, how are you really feeling?”

“I don’t know,” Emma shrugged. “I wasn’t too excited to be coming, but now that I’m here, well, it’s definitely gonna be interesting.”

“Good interesting, I hope,” Alyssa said as they reached their cabin. She held open the door for Emma to step inside first. Emma didn’t get a chance to respond as the girls all started chatting together, getting ready for bed, changing into their pajamas. Emma was quiet, but when Alyssa met her eyes, she smiled.

As Emma laid down, Alyssa climbed up the side to get into the top bunk. She poked her head out from over the edge and grinned down at Emma. “Goodnight.”

“Night, Alyssa.”

* * *

It was a beautifully overcast morning, cloud cover giving them shade from the unforgiving sun, perfect weather for a hike. It had even rained a little the night before, so the air outside was fresh and clean.

Usually Alyssa enjoyed the annual reflection hike. She liked the quiet, introspective time for herself. It was better than being at home with her mother nagging her constantly, or at school where it seemed the entire student body had expectations that Alyssa was afraid she would never live up to. She needed time to herself to figure out what was going on in her own head.

Sure, it was supposed to be a time for prayer, but she never actually used it for that. She wasn’t sure if anyone actually did.

And this year, she had Emma. Maybe they could walk together. And Alyssa never knew what to say to her anyway, always afraid she would put her foot in her mouth and make a fool of herself, so maybe it was a good thing they couldn’t talk.

Unfortunately, the moment they set off on the trail, Marcus cornered at the back of the group and was trying to talk her ear off during what was supposed to be quiet, reflective time.

The worst part was that she _had_ been walking with Emma, but since Marcus swooped in, Emma had distanced herself. She walked ahead with Hayden and Carrie. As much as Alyssa was glad she was making friends and as much as she liked watching as Emma awkwardly stumbled up the trail, trying not to trip over rocks or tree roots, she didn’t like how Emma was so far away.

Marcus rambled on in whispers while Alyssa stayed quiet, and whenever she tried to walk away he followed. She wasn’t sure how much clearer she could be that she wasn't interested.

“...I had a girlfriend earlier this year but we broke up back in January. What about you, Ally, did you have a boyfriend this year?”

Alyssa was fuming, frustrated, and didn’t even want to dignify him with a response. Thankfully, she was saved when there was a loud clap of thunder overhead, and it immediately began to pour rain. There was a gasp through the group, a few girls squealed, and everyone ran for cover under the trees.

Everyone was familiar enough with the path; it was the same hiking trail they took every year. They knew which spots had loose dirt or holes, and where to avoid stepping as they ran for cover.

Everyone except Emma, who stepped directly into a pit of mud. Her foot sunk into the loose, wet mud, the momentum carried her forward so she fell face first into the ground.

“Emma!” Alyssa ran back out into the rain and crouched down next to Emma as close as she could get without stepping into the mud herself. “Are you okay?”

Emma stood as upright as she could with one foot still lodged deep into the mud. “I’m okay,” she said, wiping her face. She tried to push herself up and strained to free herself to no avail. “I think I’m stuck.” She ducked her head, embarrassed.

By then, Blake had joined Alyssa by the mud pit. “Don’t worry, Emma, this happens all the time,” he said, holding out a hand. “Let’s get you out of there, yeah?”

Emma nodded and grabbed his hand. He tugged and tugged, but Emma’s foot barely budged from the mud.

Blake glanced over at Alyssa. “Help me out here, Ally?”

Alyssa nodded and reached out for Emma’s other hand. With the combined effort of the three of them pulling her free, Emma’s foot was released from the mud with a loud suctioning sound. Emma tumbled forward, landing on top of Alyssa.

Alyssa froze, pinned on the ground underneath Emma. Her head was suddenly swirling with fog at their close proximity, close enough to see Emma’s cheeks turn red, the light freckles dusting her cheeks, the curve of her lip...

“I’m so sorry!” Emma groaned, immediately rolling off of Alyssa and laying on her back while the rain poured down on her. Alyssa sat up, still a little dazed. She was now covered in mud, but she didn’t really mind.

“It’s fine,” Alyssa choked out.

“Okay, everybody!” Blake called out. “Gather up! Let’s head back. We won’t reach the reflection summit in this weather.”

Alyssa stood up and offered a hand to help Emma up, but noticed that one of her shoes was missing. “Uh, Emma,” she muttered, and pointed at her foot that was now clad only in a sock that was stained brown with mud. Emma frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Blake wandered back over, then noticed that Emma was missing a shoe. “Oh, shoot. Okay, um. Well you can’t walk back without a shoe. We have to get everybody back to camp so you don’t all get sick out here…” Blake looked concerned, unsure of what to do.

“I can stay here with Emma and help look for her shoe,” Alyssa suggested. “I know the trail and you can get everybody else back.”

“That’s… that’s a really good idea.” Blake turned to the campers who were all getting fussy in the rain, then looked back at Alyssa. “You’re a senior camper here, Ally. I’m trusting you. Here.” He dug into the pocket of his cargo shorts and pulled out a whistle and a compass handing it to her. She looked at him curiously and he just shrugged. “Just in case.”

As the group retreated down the trail, Emma sat upright and pulled her knees up to her chest.

“You don’t have to stay here with me.”

Alyssa frowned. “I’m not gonna leave you here alone.”

“Seriously, Alyssa, it’s fine. You can go hang out with Marcus and I’ll find my own shoe. I’m sure I can make it back to camp.”

“Wait, _Marcus?_ I don’t— _What?!”_

“He obviously really likes you,” Emma said with a shrug.

“That doesn’t mean I like him!” Alyssa sputtered. “I’ve been trying to get him to leave me alone so I could hang out with you!”

“What?” It was Emma’s turn to look confused. “Why would you do that? It’s not like we hang out at school or anything.”

“School is… different.” Alyssa wasn’t sure how to explain herself without seeming like just another kid at school that didn’t have the time of day for Emma. When they were at school, there was so much pressure, so many expectations weighing Alyssa down. When she was at camp, she didn’t have any of that.

“You don’t have to pretend like you want to spend time with me,” Emma muttered, then crawled over to the mud pit and stuck her hands inside, digging around uselessly for her shoe.

“No, I—I’m not pretending. I like you, Emma.” Alyssa blushed as she realized the words that just came out of her mouth. “Um, I just mean… I think we could be really good friends.”

Emma stopped her searching and looked back at Alyssa. “You do?”

Alyssa nodded. “Yeah. We never really get the chance to hang out at school, and you’re never in the cafeteria at lunch, and I’m always busy during the year with cheer and student council and debate and everything else... but it might be nice to get to know each other without all that pressure of everyone at school.”

Emma was quiet for a moment. “How’d you know I don’t sit in the cafeteria?”

“Oh, you— it’s not like I look for you, but I—I notice you, I guess.”

“Really?” Emma’s cheeks flushed.

“Yeah,” Alyssa nodded. The tense silence that fell between them eased a little when Emma pulled her hands out of the mud with a squelch. Alyssa suppressed a smile, noticing the amused look on Emma’s face as she sat cross legged on the ground.

“Band closet,” Emma muttered.

“What?”

“There’s a closet at the back of the band room where they store all their sheet music and instruments and stuff. It’s quiet and nice and people don’t make fun of me in there.”

Alyssa nodded in understanding. She knew Emma wasn’t exactly the most popular and that she didn’t really fit in with everyone else. As far as Alyssa thought, Emma didn’t seem to care what everyone else said about her, what rumors spread, what they thought of her. And as much as Alyssa admired that about Emma, she suddenly felt like an idiot for not realizing. Obviously Emma cared, she just didn’t want anyone else to know. At least Emma had found her own space at school, where nobody could hurt her.

“Well,” Alyssa started with a sigh, “let’s find that shoe of yours.”

Emma seemed relieved for the subject change. “Yeah, I don’t really want to write to my parents asking for a new pair of sneakers.”

“Do you see a long stick anywhere?” Alyssa asked, standing up to search under some nearby trees. “Might be a bit more efficient than using your hands.”

Half an hour later they were both covered in mud, laughing, and had found two additional shoes in the mud before Emma’s missing sneaker was located. By the time they arrived back at camp, everyone else was already cleaned up and dried off, inside the mess hall for lunch. When they walked inside, everyone seemed thankful that they weren’t the ones stuck outside in the rain, but Alyssa would rather be covered in rain and mud outside with Emma Nolan than warm and dry inside with anyone else in the world.

* * *

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, far different from the freak rainstorm they received the week before. It was the perfect day for a hike in the woods, or to go for a swim in the lake, but instead they were cooped up in the auditorium for everyone’s least favorite camp activity: Parable Skits.

It was a whole day they spent mostly indoors with their small groups. They were assigned a parable from the Bible, and had to come up with some sort of skit to rehearse and perform for all their fellow campers before dinner.

Luckily for Alyssa, Emma was in her group. Unluckily, so was Marcus, who still wouldn’t leave her alone.

Alyssa sat on the cool, hardwood floor of the auditorium, leaning back against the wall. She rested her head on Emma’s shoulder while they both watched Natalie and Noah argue over what they should do for their skit. Seemed like there was trouble brewing in paradise. Marcus was asleep on the ground a few feet away.

“It’s the parable of the workers in the vineyard!”

“Yeah, so why not have, like, a CEO offer someone a job?”

“The vineyard is supposed to represent heaven, idiot. CEO’s are evil.”

“Well I don’t see you coming up with any better ideas…”

Alyssa tuned out their bickering voices in her brain and looked out the front door of the auditorium. It was propped open, and she could just see the lake in the distance, the surface of the water glistening under the summer sun. Alyssa let out a wistful sigh.

“You as bored as I am?” Emma muttered.

Alyssa nodded, sitting upright. “Big time.”

“At least the kids look like they’re having fun.” Emma gestured to the other side of the auditorium where a group of ten year olds were running around, all trying to _baa_ like a sheep.

“Yeah, these skits stopped being fun when we were like twelve,” Alyssa said. “But it’s a _group camp activity_ so we just have to suck it up.”

“Think there’s any way I can get out of this?”

“Not a chance.”

“Damn it.”

“What, does Emma Nolan have stage fright?” Alyssa joked.

“Maybe a little,” Emma blushed and looked down at her feet.

“I thought you weren’t afraid of anything. What about the Thanksgiving assembly?”

“Everybody at school already hated me so it didn’t really make a difference. These people don’t hate me yet. I don’t want to get up on stage and embarrass myself.”

“What, you’re afraid they’ll see how awesome you are?”

“The opposite, actually. I know they’ll see that I’m just kind of an awkward idiot.”

Emma said it jokingly, but Alyssa could see the way her eyes were downcast and her shoulders were tense as she shrugged. She tentatively reached out and placed a hand on her knee, trying to quell the butterflies in her chest in favor of reassuring her friend. Because that’s what she and Emma were now—friends.

“Is that why you haven’t talked to Blake about learning the campfire songs yet?”

Emma just shrugged.

“Hey,” Alyssa muttered. “You’re not an idiot. You’re pretty great, and I’m pretty lucky we’re friends now.”

Emma’s cheeks flushed at her words. She quickly looked from Alyssa’s hand on her knee to her eyes. Alyssa swallowed and held her gaze, hoping to convey just how wonderful she thought Emma was. After a moment, Emma’s lip twitched up into a small smile. Just as she opened her mouth to reply, she was interrupted.

“Ugh, _finally_ we can agree on something!” Natalie groaned. “Okay, you all understand what we’re doing? Everybody ready to get to work?”

Marcus jumped awake from where he was laying flat on the ground, asleep. Emma and Alyssa guiltily exchanged a glance, hoping it wasn’t too obvious that they weren’t paying attention. Alyssa jumped to her feet and held out a hand to help Emma off the floor. Emma’s nerves seemed to settle in once again, so once they were both on their feet, Alyssa let her hand linger in Emma’s for another moment. She gave a reassuring squeeze, then let go.

“You’ve got this,” Alyssa whispered. The whole group followed Natalie and Noah outside so they could enjoy the beautiful summer sun while they rehearsed their skit.

* * *

Summer nights at camp were some of Alyssa’s favorites. The air was warm enough that she could wear shorts and a t-shirt without getting cold, and the crackling campfire kept all the bugs away. The sun was just beginning to set, but because of their location in the middle of the forest, there was already a dark shadow over the camp, lit up only by the glow of the fire.

Alyssa had Marcus on one side of her, while Natalie and Noah were on the other side, all over each other once again. She let out a sigh, only a little hurt that Emma had disappeared after dinner leaving her to fend for herself on the way to the campfire, which was how she ended up stuck with the worst possible seat.

Still, she figured she would at least try to enjoy herself. That is, until she felt Marcus’s arm trying to subtly creep its way over her shoulder. Alyssa raised an eyebrow at him and leaned away, but he didn’t seem to get the hint. It was going to be a long night.

But then, the gentle strum of a guitar started. For some reason, it sounded different than the usual guitar accompaniment that came with the campfire songs. Alyssa turned her head to the front and saw Emma sitting up by the campfire, playing guitar, while the counselors began to sing along. She looked very focused on the song, but once she got a little more comfortable, she looked up at the crowd and found Alyssa, whose gaze was still fixed on Emma playing.

When Emma met Alyssa’s eyes, her face lit up in a bright smile that sent Alyssa’s heart aflutter. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad.

“Er, so—Ally, I was uh, wondering…” Marcus spoke up next to her. His voice in her ear sent chills down her back, but not the good kind. She quickly pushed herself further away from him on the bench so she was pressed right up against Natalie’s side and couldn’t move any further.

“What?” Alyssa frowned.

“Did you want to head down to the boathouse tonight after the campfire?”

Alyssa couldn’t help the look of disgust that crossed her face at his suggestion. Everyone at camp knew what the boathouse meant. It was where the teenagers snuck off to when they wanted to hook up.

“N—no!” she gasped.

Marcus looked confused. “Sorry, I just— I thought we had something here?”

Alyssa shook her head. “No, you just. No.” She closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands, letting out a long sigh. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression or anything, but I’m just not interested in you. Like that.”

“Oh.” His face fell, looking like a kicked puppy. Alyssa didn’t want to feel sorry for him, but it wasn’t his fault. She could have been clearer since he first started hitting on her and, well, Marcus was never really the brightest kid in camp. “Is there someone else?”

Alyssa couldn’t help the way her gaze turned back to the campfire momentarily, her eyes flitting to where Emma sat, strumming at her guitar, a content smile on her face. Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly turned her head away before anyone who had started eavesdropping on their conversation could notice.

Alyssa just shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Usually, after the campfires, Alyssa was one of the first ones to get out of there and head back to her cabin. Tonight, she found herself lingering as she waited for the crowd to disperse while Emma helped the counselors clean up.

Alyssa rushed forward and threw her arms around Emma in a tight hug, catching her by surprise. “You were incredible!” she whispered.

Emma seemed to be at a loss for words, but grinned nervously as Alyssa pulled away. “Uh, thanks,” she said with a shrug. “It was kinda fun.” She glanced around at the now almost empty campfire area. “You should get back to the cabin. I’ll catch up later, we’re just cleaning up here.”

Alyssa shook her head. “No, I—I can help.” She said quickly. “I wanna walk back with you.” She ducked her head, hoping to hide the blush on her cheeks. It was dark enough that Emma probably wouldn’t notice. 

“Um, yeah,” Emma breathed. “Yeah, okay.”

* * *

“Em, wake up!”

Alyssa leapt off the top bunk bed where she slept, landing on her feet in a crouch next to Emma’s sleeping form. Emma groaned and pulled a pillow over her head.

“Emmaaa, today’s canoe racing!” Alyssa tugged Emma’s blanket off of her and dropped it on the floor. “I need you to be my partner!”

“Hey!” Emma grumbled. She snatched her blanket back and glared at Alyssa as she sat up. Emma’s arms stretched over her head as she yawned, her head was ducked trying not to hit it on the bunk that hung over her own bed. “Why do you need me to be your partner?” Emma asked, mid-yawn.

Alyssa shrugged, avoiding eye contact with Emma. Maybe she just really wanted to be Emma’s partner for the canoe races, but Emma didn’t have to know that. Instead of answering honestly, Alyssa rambled on with whatever excuses popped into her head. “Well Natalie and Noah already agreed to be partners—“

“Oh, are they back together?”

“I think so. Anyway, Linda and Kyle are also partners, Carrie and Hayden are inseparable so they’re going to be partners, and I do _not_ want to get stuck with Marcus.”

“So that means I’m stuck with you instead?”

“Please?” Alyssa gave Emma her best pout and batted her eyelashes.

She watched Emma’s resolve crumble in front of her. It was honestly adorable the way her teasing glare melted and her shoulders slumped as she sighed, “Fine. I guess you’re not so bad.”

“Yes!” Alyssa jumped up and pumped her fist into the air. “You’d better be on your A game, Nolan. The winning team in each age group gets a gift certificate for the camp store and I’m almost out of Sour Patch Kids.”

“I’ll do my best not to disappoint you,” Emma laughed.

Alyssa shuffled through her drawer for her clothes for the day. “You’d better,” she called over her shoulder as she sauntered to the bathroom.

Later that morning, everyone was lined up in pairs at the docks. Only one group would race at once, while one of the counselors recorded their time on a stopwatch. The lake was big so it wasn’t a huge spectacle to watch, but the teams would row as fast as they could and follow the course that was marked by red flags, eventually looping around and returning to the start where they would hear their time.

Everyone sat on the docks, chatting, waiting for their turn to race to come up. Alyssa sat with her feet bare, dangling over the side of the dock so that her toes dipped into the cool water of the lake. It was another warm day, bright and sunny. She glanced to her side and giggled when she saw Emma aggressively applying sunscreen next to her.

Emma glared at her. “Some of us were cursed with pale skin. I’m probably still gonna get burned.”

The distant sound of splashing drew everyone’s attention as the current team of Carrie and Hayden approached from the distant bend of the course. They arrived at the finish line and counselor Kimberly stopped the timer. Seven minutes and fifty nine seconds. The new time to beat.

“Nolan! Greene! You’re up next.”

Emma gave Alyssa a sideways glance and a crooked grin that caused Alyssa’s insides to churn. Emma held out a hand to help Alyssa up. They donned their life vests and Alyssa stepped into the canoe. She turned to see Emma hesitant and held out a hand for her to step inside as well. The canoe rocked back and forth precariously, causing Emma to gasp and clutch Alyssa’s arm as it slowly steadied out.

“You ready?” Alyssa muttered.

Emma nodded.

They took their places, held their oars at the ready and waited for their signal.

“On your mark… get set… ROW!”

They took off into the lake, starting off strong. Soon enough they had disappeared from the tiny little alcove next to camp and were following the course that was marked by flags.

Alyssa always made sure to keep in shape, both for cheerleading and to keep her mother happy. Rowing was no hardship to her. She was surprised at how well Emma was keeping up with her strokes.

“You’re pretty good at this!” Alyssa called out behind her, over the splashing of the water and the creaking of the boat.

“Thanks!” Emma panted, sounding a little tired. “I, uh, help my grandma out on the farm sometimes. It’s a lot of manual labor.”

They slowly started to lose their steam, and when they arrived at the spot where the lake split off in two different directions, both their rowing slowed until they were at a stop. Alyssa glanced around, trying to catch sight of the bright red flags that marked the course to no avail.

“Do you see the flags?” she asked Emma.

“No. You?”

“Nope.”

They hesitated for a moment. “Hmm.” Alyssa frowned. “Do you remember which direction they said to go?”

“I think it was… right?”

Alyssa nodded. “Yeah, that sounds… that sounds right.” She glanced over her shoulder. “So we go right?”

“Yeah,” Emma agreed. “Right.”

Neither of them sounded so sure, but they took off down the right path.

After a few minutes of rowing, Alyssa hadn’t caught sight of another flag. She was getting tired, and Emma sounded winded behind her too. “I, er— I think we went the wrong direction.”

Emma chuckled. “I think we did.”

“We should turn back.”

“Yeah, probably.”

Alyssa positioned her oar to start to turn the canoe around, Emma assisting from behind. Alyssa pulled her oar up to go for another stroke, but her oar didn’t budge, caught on some weeds, and it slipped out of her hands. The whole oar landed with a plunk in the water and floated about two feet away.

“Shit,” Alyssa muttered.

She reached out for her oar at the same time Emma said, “I’ve got it.”

The weight of them both leaning in the same direction sent the boat tipping sideways and they both tumbled out of the canoe and into the water.

Alyssa squealed in shock as she was submerged in murky water, but her life vest quickly brought her afloat. She gasped, treading water, and wiped the water out of her face. When she opened her eyes she saw Emma in front of her, looking like a surprised, sad, waterlogged puppy. She squinted, took her glasses off, and shook the water off of them.

Alyssa couldn’t help it. She laughed.

Emma looked offended for only a moment, but the laughter seemed to be contagious as she started chuckling too. Soon enough they were both struggling to tread water, doubled over in laughter.

“I’m sorry, I—“

“I shouldn’t have—“

They both started at the same time, stopped, looked at each other, then started laughing again.

Emma swam over to the clump of weeds, grabbed the stray oar, and handed it to Alyssa.

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

Alyssa’s cheeks hurt from laughing, and she bit her lip, watching as Emma brushed the waterlogged hair out of her own face. The sunlight caught her hazel eyes just right and Alyssa would swear she could see every color of the rainbow in them. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life.

Alyssa was enthralled; the race was the furthest thing from her mind when all that mattered was Emma in front of her, a captivating grin on her face.

A moment later, Emma’s smile faltered a little. She cleared her throat. “We should, um… get back.” She swam back to the boat and climbed inside, leaving Alyssa still staring off into the place where she used to be, confused and disappointed that the moment had shifted so abruptly.

“Yeah,” Alyssa breathed. “We should.”

Emma leaned to one side as Alyssa climbed back in to distribute the weight so they didn’t fall out of the canoe again. Their eyes met, and Emma gave her an awkward smile before she clutched her own oar and started to row.

In the end, their time was about ten minutes longer than anyone else’s because of their little detour, but Alyssa wasn’t too disappointed they lost. It was worth it.

That night, as she climbed into bed, she found a bag of Sour Patch Kids sitting on her pillow. She picked it up and tried to hold back a giddy smile. She sat, feet dangling over the edge of her bed and glanced down at Emma who was already in bed, head on her pillow, eyes closed.

“Em, what’s this?” Alyssa asked.

Emma’s lips turned up in a small smile, but she didn’t open her eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

* * *

Alyssa picked at her eggs and bacon, tired from a late night at the campfire. She was thankful that, after a few weeks of dismissing his advances, Marcus was finally leaving her alone. She wasn’t sure she could handle the headache this early as she slowly ate her food.

Suddenly, a piece of bacon disappeared from her plate. Alyssa turned to her side, glaring at Emma with half a piece of bacon sticking out of her mouth.

“Hey,” Alyssa threatened with a glare.

Emma’s eyes grew wide. “I thought you were done?” she said, shrugging.

“Give me that!” Alyssa grabbed half the piece of bacon from between Emma’s lips and shoved it into her own mouth. Emma’s cheeks flushed red, but she was saved from a response when one of the counselors appeared between them.

“Package for you, Emma,” Kimberly said, dropping a small cardboard box on the table in front of them.

Alyssa looked up at her. “Anything for me?” she asked.

Kimberly sifted through the mail in her hands. “Not today. Sorry, Ally.”

Alyssa tried to hide the frown on her face. “It’s fine,” she muttered. She shouldn’t be surprised. It’s not like her mom ever wrote to her before, any of her other years at camp. Still, that didn’t keep her from being disappointed when she never got any mail. Instead, she turned her attention to Emma. “Something from your parents?” she asked.

Emma shook her head. “God, no,” she laughed. “I haven’t heard from them since they stuck me on a bus out here. No, this is from my grandma.” She had an excited grin on her face as she opened the box. Alyssa couldn’t help but watch her fondly as she pulled out a letter and skimmed it quickly, then reached into the box again to retrieve two separately wrapped bags of cookies.

Alyssa was surprised when Emma held one out to her. “Um, this is for you,” she muttered, blushing as she shoved the bag of cookies into Alyssa’s hands.

“What?”

“She said one of these bags of cookies is for you,” Emma said, looking back down at her plate.

Alyssa felt her cheeks heat up. “Emma,” she gasped, teasing, “are you writing to your grandmother about me?”

“I just mentioned the canoe race to her, that’s all,” Emma defended.

Alyssa tried to hide her grin as butterflies fluttered in her chest. “That’s sweet. You’re sweet.”

“Yeah, well,” Emma brushed off with a shrug, “Gran’s the one who made the cookies.”

Emma was still staring at her plate, refusing to make eye contact, so Alyssa gently nudged Emma’s shoulder with her own.

“Well, tell her I said thank you.”

* * *

Something about summer camp brought out the competitive nature within everyone. From canoe races, to talent shows, to relay races, it seemed every week there was something new for campers to compete in. Today, specifically, was the boys versus girls competition.

It was a day full of small challenges that pitted the boys and girls in every age group against each other. There was the three legged race, water balloon toss, hot dog eating contest, and more. The score was neck and neck all day.

The final event was the tug of war challenge, and while the boys were a bit stronger, the girls had the numbers behind them. Alyssa was an athlete, and she wasn’t going to let a bunch of stupid boys get the better of them today.

Alyssa had never known a game of tug of war to end in a tie, but they somehow found themselves at a stalemate. Both teams had their feet firmly planted in the dirt, and while the muscles of Alyssa’s arms were straining, she held her grip the whole time and didn’t falter until both teams collapsed from exhaustion at the same time after holding the rope far longer than anyone else before them had.

Counselor Kimberly was their referee; she was exhausted and just wanted things to end so they could head to dinner, so she called the game a draw.

“What does that mean?” Kyle asked, frowning.

“Listen. I’m hungry. Can we just get this tiebreaker over with?” Kimberly groaned. “Both teams, choose your opponents. It’ll be a one on one tug of war match.”

The teams huddled up separately. Carrie was the one who had taken charge throughout the day, being the most competitive of the group. “I say we take Marcus. He’s definitely the scrawniest and I think any one of us could stand a chance against him. Agreed?”

There was a line of nodding heads as no one protested the choice. The group split and Carrie made the announcement.

“We choose Marcus!”

The boys were also ready with their choice, announced by Noah. “We pick Emma!”

Alyssa saw the immediate panic on Emma’s face as her name was called out. She tried not to be offended on behalf of Emma; they probably chose her because they thought she was the weakest link. It was why the girls chose Marcus.

Sure, Emma could be a bit of a klutz sometimes, but they didn’t know that she was probably the most capable of taking on any of the guys. Alyssa decided to not take offense, but only because the boys would probably be regretting their choice very soon.

Alyssa squeezed Emma’s shoulder in reassurance as she stepped past to grab the rope. Her hands were already red from gripping it tightly, but she balled up her fists and stepped forward with a confident glare on her face.

Emma and Marcus grabbed their ends of the rope, staring each other down, waiting for their moment. The whistle blew, and the game began.

Immediately, Emma was tugged forward, a little late to react and tighten her grip on the rope. While Marcus had the initial upper hand, Emma was quick to right herself, steadying her feet in the dirt and a comfortable grip on the rope. Marcus was surprised at how quickly she readjusted herself.

There was a sheen of sweat on Emma’s forehead as she held tight, the muscles in her arms straining. She groaned in exertion when Marcus gave another tug to try and loosen her grip.

Alyssa felt lightheaded all of a sudden, unable to tear her eyes away.

Then, whether it was dumb luck or perfect timing, Emma gave a strong pull just when Marcus was beginning to falter. The rope slipped through his fingers and as he tried to regain his grip he was pulled forward, into the dirt, and across the median.

The girls all let out a loud cheer as they realized they had won the competition. Alyssa was quiet, eyes still on Emma.

As all the other girls surrounded Emma and gave her hugs, high fives, and pats on the back, Alyssa blinked herself out of her own stupor and walked up to join them.

Flustered, Alyssa had no idea what to do with her hands as she went up to congratulate Emma. Somehow, she found herself gripping one of Emma’s arms. Emma looked at her, eyes wide, and Alyssa quickly pulled away.

“That was—“ Alyssa stuttered. “You were— Um, you won!”

Emma chuckled. “Yeah,” she said. “I guess I did.

They stared at each other for a moment, a charged look that filled Alyssa with warmth all the way down to her toes. She opened her mouth, unsure of what she even wanted to say yet, but Emma quickly looked down at her feet, suddenly distant.

“Um, we should get to dinner.”

Alyssa glanced around and it was only then that she realized everyone else had already left for the mess hall. Emma and Alyssa had been left behind.

Alyssa cleared her throat, embarrassed, but nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Emma spun around on her heel and took off after the rest of the group, not even bothering to look back and check if Alyssa was following her. Alyssa frowned. That was weird.

All throughout dinner, Emma was distant. At first, Alyssa thought she was just tired after a long day, but it happened the next day too. And the day after that.

Alyssa had thought that she and Emma were becoming good friends through this time at camp together. She had just started to open up, and Alyssa loved getting to know this side of Emma that was always closed off and hidden when they were at school together. But all of a sudden Emma had put up her walls again, and Alyssa didn’t know what to do about it.

She feared it was her own fault, what with her crush on the girl clouding her judgment and letting her say those stupid things after the tug of war competition. Maybe it had been fueled by the blind hope that Emma felt something for her too.

There were always these moments that they had, little moments, lasting no more than a few seconds. Little moments that made Alyssa’s head swirl and her heart fill with hope. Little moments like falling into the lake together, like walking back to their cabin together after every campfire, like letting their hands linger in each other’s just a moment longer than necessary during prayer every day.

Still, had Emma never distanced herself like this before. Alyssa was starting to worry, and with only a week left of camp, she didn’t want to lose her newfound friendship that had already become so close to her heart

As they walked in a group to Bible study, Alyssa grabbed Emma by the arm and dragged her to the back of the group, lingering out of earshot of everyone else, so they could talk.

“What are you doing?” Emma quickly yanked her arm from Alyssa’s grip.

“I’m sorry, I—“ Alyssa frowned. “I didn’t mean to… I feel like you’ve been avoiding me. I just wanted to talk.”

“We can talk later.”

“Can we?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” They stepped inside the cabin by the lake. It was a wide open, carpeted space. All the groups sat cross-legged in circles on the floor with their Bibles open in front of them. Alyssa nervously lingered by the door as Emma watched her.

“Emma… did I do something wrong?” Alyssa didn’t mean to just blurt that out, but she didn’t know how else to approach the subject.

Emma’s face fell immediately. For a moment, her walls were down and she looked concerned for Alyssa, maybe even regretful. “No,” she said quickly. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Alyssa sighed. “Then why have you—“

“Okay, if you all are ready to get started, please open your Bibles to Genesis chapter nineteen.”

Emma gave Alyssa an apologetic look, then they quickly took their seats on the floor with the rest of their group.

Bible study was probably Alyssa’s least favorite part of camp. Spending time inside on a beautiful day, reading the Bible and discussing it with her peers wasn’t fun, but it was probably the exact reason her mother continued to send her here every year. All Alyssa could do was sit and listen to her ‘friends’ interpretations of various scripture readings, using God’s words as an excuse to say a lot of bigoted things.

Alyssa didn’t want to draw attention to herself, so she always kept quiet as they talked about “the gays” or whatever else came up that week. She kept her eyes glued to the floor most of the time, but she glanced up once to find Emma watching her studiously. 

Alyssa was quiet as she left Bible study that day, the earlier conversation still ringing around in her brain. She wasn’t sure if she was tired or angry or sad, but she clenched her fists as she stormed out of the cabin. She was so lost in her own thoughts that it was a surprise when Emma caught her by the arm and tugged her aside. Alyssa lashed out, almost hitting her, but Emma ducked out of the way.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Alyssa shook her head. “It’s fine. What’s up?”

Emma looked down at the ground and scuffed her shoe in the dirt. “Look, you’re right. I was avoiding you.”

“Why?”

“I want to tell you,” Emma said. She looked around quickly at the crowd filing out of the cabin. “But not here.”

“We can talk back at the cabin?”

Emma shook her head. “No, I—I don’t want anyone overhearing…”

“I know somewhere we can talk,” Alyssa said quickly, without even thinking. “Tonight. After the campfire.”

“Okay.”

* * *

Alyssa didn’t think Emma knew the rumors about the old boathouse. At least, she hoped Emma didn’t know the rumors. Sure, there were probably other private places around camp that they could talk, but the boathouse was the first place Alyssa thought of. She knew that it would be empty that night, so it was the best place to go, far away from the prying eyes and ears of everyone at camp.

Alyssa usually stayed after the campfire to walk back with Emma, and by the time they arrived all the other girls were either already asleep or in bed, so hopefully no one would notice their absence.

The path down to the boathouse was overgrown and rocky. Alyssa tentatively grabbed Emma’s hand to lead her down the trail. There was a small dock that looked like it was about to collapse that lead out to the small rusted structure covered with vines and foliage. In the dark it looked rather ominous. Alyssa felt Emma freeze at her side, and her hand tightened its grip on Alyssa’s.

“We’re going in there?” Alyssa nodded. “It doesn’t look totally safe.”

Alyssa turned to her and grabbed her other hand, squeezing them both in her own reassuringly. “Just trust me, Emma.”

Emma swallowed, her nervous eyes darting back and forth until they fell on Alyssa’s and seemed to hold her gaze, and though her shoulders were still tense, she nodded.

They stepped forward together. The pale moonlight gave the dock an luminescent sort of glow and with each creak of wood beneath their feet, Emma’s grip tightened on her hand. “It’s not as scary as it looks,” Alyssa muttered. “I promise.”

They walked through the doorway and the moonlight shone through the glass window, reflecting onto the water. Inside, there was a stretch of dock and open water where a boat should be, but the boathouse was empty. It hadn’t been used in years.

Emma let out the breath she was holding and stepped forward into the room. Alyssa tried not to be disappointed when Emma’s hand slipped out of hers. Emma looked around the room for a moment and turned to Alyssa. “You’re right. It’s not so bad in here.”

She leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down until she was on the floor, legs sprawled out in front of her. Alyssa stepped over and sat next to Emma. She hesitantly reached out for Emma’s hand again, relieved when Emma accepted. Their fingers tangled together and Alyssa gave a reassuring squeeze.

“What did you want to tell me?” she whispered.

“I…” Emma started, but her voice trailed off. She sounded scared. All Alyssa could do was wait. Whatever Emma had to say, Alyssa wanted her to be ready. So she sat in silence and waited. Emma took a deep breath.

“It’s okay,” Alyssa whispered.

Emma’s eyes were glassy, as if she was holding back tears. She glanced over at Alyssa and bit her lip. “You won’t hate me?”

Alyssa shook her head. “I could never.”

Emma let out a breath of air, her cheeks puffing out. She stared out ahead of her, refusing to look at Alyssa. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. It was a gentle nudge of Alyssa’s shoulder that finally convinced her to speak up.

“I’m gay.”

The words fell between them like a pin dropping in the dead of night. Emma closed her eyes and ripped her hand out of Alyssa’s to bury her face in her hands.

Alyssa’s brain was racing at a mile a minute. There was so much she wanted to know, so much she wanted to say, but before she could open her mouth, she realized Emma was having a minor freak out. No matter what Alyssa wanted, she had to be there for Emma. She reached out and grabbed Emma’s hand again, squeezing it in reassurance.

“Okay,” Alyssa said. “Is that all?”

Emma looked at her, a little surprised, but a small smile on her lips. “So you’re… I mean, you don’t…?”

Alyssa shook her head. “Em, I don’t care. Now please tell me what’s wrong.”

Emma sniffled a little, looking back down at the wood dock beneath them. “My parents found out,” she muttered. “That’s why I’m here.”

Alyssa frowned. “What do you mean?”

“They found out and they told me I can either come to this stupid camp or get out of their house.”

”What?” Alyssa gasped.

Emma nodded. “I think they were hoping bible camp would put the fear of God in me or something. And, I don’t know… I was prepared to just suffer through camp and go back and pretend like everything was okay. But then I ended up kind of liking it here, and I think that’s the opposite of what they wanted.”

Silence fell between them. The only sound that could be heard was the crickets chirping outside and the ripple of the water inside the boathouse and their breaths in the silence of the night.

“So… what are you going to do?” Alyssa asked eventually.

“What do you mean?”

“Well it’s not like you can just stop being gay. Are you going to lie to your parents when you get back?”

Emma huffed out a sigh. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “That was the plan, I guess. But now, I… I don’t know.”

“Why’s that?”

Emma glanced to her side so her eyes met Alyssa’s. “Why do you think?” she said, a small smile on her lips.

Alyssa felt the breath knocked out of her. “I—I don’t know,” she stuttered. “Why?”

Emma shrugged. “You, I guess. You made me feel more welcome. And you introduced me to everybody. It made things easier here. And I…” Emma trailed off, shaking her head. “Never mind.”

“What is it?” Alyssa asked, concerned.

“It’s not important,” Emma muttered. Her head was turned down once again and she was tense. Alyssa didn’t want to pry and make her even more uncomfortable so she dropped the subject.

“Well thank you for telling me.”

“Thanks for not hating me.”

“Emma, I could never— I mean— I’m…” Alyssa tried to find the words to reassure Emma that she would never hate her, that she wasn’t alone, but when Emma’s eyes met hers it was like she forgot what words were. There was so much she wanted to say that she just didn’t know how to articulate. Her voice trailed off into a quiet sigh. Emma looked confused, but she didn’t press any further.

Alyssa, embarrassed, wrenched her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead. Why did she just lose all sense of herself whenever Emma so much as looked at her? Stupid.

“So… what is this place?” Emma asked after a couple minutes, a light attempt at changing the subject.

“Just the old boathouse,” Alyssa tried to hide the disdain in her voice. She hesitated. “It’s kind of known as the camp hook up spot.”

“Oh,” Emma said quickly. Then, after a moment, her eyes grew wide. _“Oh!”_

“No, I didn’t— that’s not why I—“ Alyssa quickly backtracked. “I just knew it would be empty tonight.”

Emma gave an awkward laugh. “How’d you know that?”

“Well Nat and Noah have been on and off most of the summer and they’re thankfully off right now. Kyle and Hayden broke up last week. Marcus is still pining over me so I doubt he’s going to come here with anyone else. The only younger kids who might use it are Rosie and Clint, and Rosie sprained her ankle yesterday so I doubt they’d make the trek down here. Which… leaves it open tonight.”

Emma chuckled softly. “You’re really in on all the camp gossip, huh?”

Alyssa shrugged. “When you’ve been coming here for six years it’s practically expected to know everything.”

“So have you ever come out here with anyone?” Emma asked, her voice quiet, timid.

“Oh, god no,” Alyssa scoffed. “That’s not my— I don’t… my friends just talk a lot so I’ve heard way too many details about the boys they’ve all made out with down here but there’s nobody that I—I mean, I wouldn’t want to meet a boy down here.” She grimaced at the thought, but looked up at Emma who nodded in understanding.

Silence fell between them again. Emma awkwardly played with the hem of her shirt, refusing to make eye contact, but Alyssa couldn’t tear her eyes away from the beautiful, timid girl next to her.

“You know,” Emma mumbled. “I think you’ve been the most surprising thing about camp.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just… if you told me in June that my closest friend this summer would be Alyssa Greene, I wouldn’t have believed you.” Emma’s eyes grew wide after she spoke, as if suddenly realizing what she said. “Sorry I didn’t mean— not to imply that we’re—“

“Em,” Alyssa said, reaching out, to calm the panicking girl beside her. She placed her hands on Emma’s shoulders, trailing them down her arms until she stopped nervously gesticulating. Emma shifted beside her so she was leaning toward Alyssa, and she glanced up to meet Alyssa’s eyes. “I think we are.”

“You do?”

Alyssa nodded. “I’ve said it before. I like being your friend.” Emma pursed her lips, seemingly confused by Alyssa’s words, but thankful. She didn’t say anything, so Alyssa spoke up again. “Can I tell you something?” When Emma didn’t protest, she continued. “The moment I saw you here at camp I wanted to be your friend. I mean… I wanted to before, but I—I wanted to get know you, you know? The you that you keep hidden away at school. The you that no one else gets to see.”

Emma gulped. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Alyssa breathed. “I really like this Emma Nolan. And I’m really lucky that she’s my… my friend.”

For a moment, Alyssa desperately wanted to confess to Emma everything that she kept bottled up in her heart, the butterflies she felt whenever Emma looked at her, whenever their hands brushed. She wanted to tell Emma how beautiful she looked while the window framed her with an ethereal glow that took Alyssa’s breath away. She wanted to admit to the crush that sprouted when Emma performed at that assembly freshman year and had grown in her heart every single day since then.

They were friends, and even though Alyssa desperately wanted so much more than that, friends was what Emma needed right now. Right?

Still, she couldn’t help the way her eyes were drawn to Emma’s pale lips, the way her hands tightened in Emma’s, the way she subconsciously shifted just because she wanted to be close to her.

She didn’t miss the way Emma’s breath stopped, the way her hazel eyes darkened in the moonlight, focused on her lips, the way she leaned in as well.

Alyssa had the self control of a saint. She was always taught to keep a clear head and not give into her desires or temptations. But there was something about the seclusion of the boathouse, the quiet of the night, the intimacy of the moment, that drew them together.

And when Emma was looking at her like that, she would be a fool to not give in.

At the first press of lips against hers, Alyssa suddenly forgot how to breathe. She was frozen, breath caught in her throat, eyes shut tight, as a warm spark began to light up her entire being. It wasn’t until Emma started to pull away that Alyssa reacted.

Alyssa’s hands came up to cup Emma’s cheeks, holding her in place, as she kissed her.

Holy shit.

She was kissing Emma Nolan.

And it was _incredible._

Emma’s lips were warm and soft, and though it was never more than the gentle press of lips together, it still took Alyssa’s breath away.

“Wow,” she breathed. Her eyes were still closed and her hands lingered on Emma’s cheeks. She could feel the exhale of Emma’s breath. Her own heart hammered in her ears. Alyssa’s eyes fluttered open and her gaze was drawn to Emma’s lips as her tongue darted out briefly to lick her lips.

“I…” Emma whispered. “You…”

“Uh huh,” Alyssa muttered. All other words escaped her at the moment, so she hoped it was enough to reassure Emma that she wanted this. She wanted this so badly, and all she could think about was kissing her again.

Alyssa brushed her thumb against Emma’s cheek while her other hand moved to the back of her neck, relishing in the feeling of soft skin underneath her fingertips as she dragged her fingers back. Her grip tightened at the back of Emma’s neck, and that seemed to reach something inside Emma. There was a fire in her eyes as she suddenly gripped Alyssa’s shirt and surged forward, kissing her desperately.

Alyssa wanted this night burned into her brain. She committed Emma’s taste to her memory, the static she felt when their lips moved together, the first press of Emma’s tongue against hers, the heavy breathing that was music to her ears.

Time didn’t seem to exist at the lakeshore in the rickety old boathouse as they kissed without a spare thought for the rest of the world.

Eventually, their kisses slowed, growing lazy, turning into soft pecks that were just as heavenly as every other kiss they had shared that night. Emma’s grip tightened on her shirt for a moment, and then she pulled away and yawned.

Alyssa’s lips quirked up into a small smile. “Tired?” she asked, surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded.

“No,” Emma said quickly. “I could kiss you forever.”

Alyssa pressed forward, capturing her Emma’s lips in one last kiss, then slowly, reluctantly stood to her feet. She offered her hand to help Emma off the floor. “We should get back.”

“Do we have t—“ Emma stopped mid-sentence as she yawned again. Alyssa raised an eyebrow at her, amused, and Emma reluctantly took her hand and stood.

Alyssa kept her grip on Emma’s hand, lacing their fingers together. They made the trek back to camp in silence, but hand in hand, only separating once they were within sight of any cabins. Alyssa fell asleep quickly that night, her lips still tingling from all the kisses they had shared.

* * *

The last week of camp seemed to fly by ten times faster than the rest of summer had, and Alyssa hated that there were only a few days left of what had been arguably the best year at camp yet. And yes, it had everything to do with Emma Nolan. Not just kissing her at the boathouse, but getting to see her every day. Alyssa never thought she would be lucky enough to be friends with Emma, or even get to kiss her, but she had been wrong.

She had never been so happy to be wrong in her entire life.

It had been a few days since that night at the boathouse, and though they still spent nearly every waking moment together, they hadn’t had a moment alone since then. It’s not like they could walk around camp like Natalie and Noah, who were, once again, back together. If Alyssa tried to hold Emma’s hand or kiss her, there would be an uproar that would probably start with a call to her mother and end with god knows what sort of cruel and unusual punishment Veronica Greene would enact if she found out her daughter was gay.

Alyssa tried not to think about that.

Instead, she relished in the little moments she got with Emma. The way they would always end up next to each other at every camp activity, the charged looks they shared when everyone else was distracted, after prayers when they would let their hands linger in each others’ for a few moments longer than anyone else did. Little moments like these were all they had.

Alyssa wished she had said more at the boathouse. She wished that they had more time. She wished that everyone else in the world would disappear so that she could kiss Emma again, hold her, and tell her exactly what she felt. She had been too caught up in the shock and joy of kissing Emma that she didn’t even think about saying anything, and now she _couldn’t._ All she could do was sit in arts and crafts and watch Emma from across the table. It was torture.

Honestly, Alyssa wasn’t even sure what she would say to Emma, even if she got the chance. She had never been good with words, and whenever she was around Emma she always seemed to lose all sense of vocabulary.

There had to be something she could do.

And then, as Alyssa furiously weaved together another bracelet, not even realizing that the strands had become too tangled together to fix, she got an idea. She discarded the reject bracelet she had just been working on and selected two new colors of string.

First, she grabbed her own favorite shade of light purple. Then, she moved onto the blues. Alyssa knew blue was Emma’s favorite color but she didn’t know what shade, and there were so many options. Eventually she selected the darkest shade of blue they had because it looked nice with the purple she had selected, and made her way back to her seat.

Emma gave her a curious look, but Alyssa ignored her and focused on weaving a new bracelet. She finished just in time for the class to end.

“What’d you make?” Emma asked her after class.

Alyssa quickly shoved the bracelet in her pocket. “Oh, um, nothing important.”

The bracelet was in Alyssa’s pocket every single day, all the way up until the final campfire of the year. The last campfire was when everyone would get emotional, share their favorite memories, sing their favorite songs. Usually it was a spectacle that Alyssa enjoyed, but this year she was wracked with anxiety. She just wanted it to end so she could talk to Emma.

Finally, once the campfire finished, Alyssa stayed back to help Emma clean up so they could walk back to the cabin together.

“Greene, go to bed,” Blake said. “We’ve got it from here.”

“I’m just here to help Emma,” Alyssa said. “Um, we can put the fire out if you need. You look tired.”

He hesitated a moment, but then looked around to make sure no one else was around. “I’m trusting you, Ally. The water bucket is behind the fire pit. Make sure you don’t leave any embers.”

“Got it.”

And finally, they were alone.

True to her word, Alyssa helped Emma finish cleaning up the campfire arena. She filled the bucket of water at the tap nearby, but then walked to the first row of benches and sat down, placing the water bucket gently on the floor next to her.

Emma stepped up in front of her and reached down for the bucket. “Come on,” she muttered. “Let’s put the fire out and head back.”

Alyssa caught her wrist before she could grab the bucket and looked up at her. “I, um… I have something for you.” She stood up in front of Emma, digging into her pocket, then pulled out the bracelet she had made.

“For me?”

Alyssa nodded. “Ever had a camp bracelet before?” She tapped on Emma’s wrist. Emma shook her head and held up her arm. Alyssa wrapped the bracelet around her wrist and began to tie it in place. “There’s a myth with these things,” she explained. “You’re supposed to make a wish as you tie it, and then leave it on. Don’t cut it off. Just let time run its course, and when it falls off on its own, your wish will come true.”

When the knot was tied snugly on Emma’s wrist, she looked up. Emma’s eyes were on her, glowing in the light of the fire.

“Did you make a wish?” Alyssa whispered.

Emma nodded. She glanced down at the bracelet on her wrist, turning her hand over to inspect the knot. She frowned. “You tied it pretty tight.”

“Sorry,” Alyssa chuckled. “Habit, I guess.”

Emma bit her lip. “What if I don’t want to wait that long for my wish to come true.”

Alyssa shrugged. “Maybe you won’t have to.” She stood on her toes and kissed Emma like she wanted to all week.

It was sweet and brief, and their foreheads rested together when they parted. Emma’s lip trembled, and her hands wound their way into Alyssa’s, lacing their fingers together.

“Alyssa, I—“

“Why is that fire still on?” The girls jumped apart. Alyssa recognized the voice of Luke O’Brien, the camp director. Alyssa could suddenly hear her heartbeat thudding erratically in her ears as her anxiety spiked.

She cleared her throat. “Um, we were just about to put it out!” she called back.

Not even waiting for a response, she grabbed the bucket of water and tossed it over the fire. Once the light was extinguished, Alyssa felt a little more calm in the cover of night. She let out a shaky breath and met Emma’s eyes with a sympathetic smile. Alyssa easily slipped her hand into Emma’s.

They took their time walking back up to the cabin, gazing up at the stars, stealing nervous glances at each other, dragging out their last night together as long as possible because they didn’t know when they would get another chance.

* * *

Alyssa didn’t see Emma Nolan again for the rest of summer.

By the time she woke up the last morning of camp, Emma was already gone. They weren’t friends on Facebook or Instagram, and since there was no cell service at camp and they weren’t allowed to use phones anyway, they had never gotten around to exchanging phone numbers.

Alyssa didn’t even hear a whisper of her name until a week before school started when Kaylee texted her.

_OMG did you hear about Emma Nolan?_

Alyssa blinked at the message, surprised. Sure, Kaylee used to be friends with Emma, but they stopped hanging out a long time ago. So why was she a topic of conversation now?

 _Emma Nolan?_ Alyssa texted back in an attempt to be coy. _What happened?_

_Her parents kicked her out! She’s a LESBO_

Alyssa’s phone slipped out of her hands, clattering to the floor.

“Alyssa, sweetie, what was that?”

“Nothing, mom!” Alyssa quickly reached down to pick up her phone, frowning when she noticed the new crack across the screen. She couldn’t let her mom see that.

She set her phone aside, face down, ignoring the vibrations of other text messages that were coming through. She tried to focus on her summer reading again, but her hands were shaking and she kept reading the same sentence over and over again. She couldn’t stop thinking about Emma.

The first day of school, Alyssa did a pretty good job of appearing calm as she frantically searched for Emma down every hallway and through every door. She caught sight of Emma’s locker, covered in graffiti, and frowned.

They shared Spanish class together that morning, which Alyssa didn’t realize until Emma slipped into the classroom the moment the bell rang. Their eyes met across the room, but Emma immediately looked down at her textbook and kept her gaze fixed there for the rest of class.

When the bell rang, Alyssa quickly gathered her books and rushed toward Emma’s seat at the back of the room, but was stopped when someone stepped in front of her.

“Hey, Shelby,” Alyssa tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Shelby grinned at her friend. “So… I know I said we could be partners, but Kevin is in this class and he just asked if I would be his partner and you know I’ve had a crush on him for, like _ever_ and—“

“It’s fine,” Alyssa quickly cut her off. “Sorry, I just really have to go to the bathroom.”

She brushed past Shelby, only to find Emma’s seat empty.

Besides their brief encounter in class, Alyssa didn’t see a glimpse of Emma the rest of the morning.

At lunch, instead of heading for the cafeteria, Alyssa made her way toward the opposite side of campus, where she knew the band room was located. Emma had only mentioned her secret hiding place once, offhandedly. Alyssa hoped she wasn’t intruding, but she needed to see Emma, needed to talk to her, needed to know she was okay. 

Not even thinking, she threw open the door to the closet at the back of the room, clearly catching Emma by surprise. She shot up from the place she sat on the floor, letting out a small squeak. Alyssa let the door fall shut behind her.

“Alyssa?” Emma gasped. “What are you— how did you—“

“First day of camp,” Alyssa muttered. “You mentioned you sit here at lunch sometimes.”

Emma was quiet for a moment. “You remembered that?”

Alyssa nodded, but her eyes were drawn to Emma’s left wrist. “Where’s your bracelet?” she asked. She should have figured that Emma wouldn’t actually have left the bracelet on forever, but still. The thought of her actively cutting it off hurt a little.

“Oh,” Emma glanced down and rubbed at her wrist a little. “I didn’t take it off. Or, I mean, I didn’t want to.”

Alyssa tilted her head, curious. “What do you mean?”

Emma looked pale, but she swallowed. Her voice was quiet as she spoke. “My dad kind of… ripped it off of me.”

Alyssa gasped. “Em…” she stepped closer, reaching out for Emma’s hand, but Emma flinched away.

“Why are you here?” Emma’s voice sounded so tired and distant. It was nothing like the vibrant, wonderful girl from camp. It broke Alyssa’s heart to see Emma so despondent.

“I was worried about you,” Alyssa said. “I wanted to see how you were doing.”

“You don’t have to pretend like we’re still friends,” Emma muttered.

“Emma.” Alyssa reached out again, this time catching Emma’s hand before she could pull away. “I’m not pretending. I care about you.”

Emma sniffled, eyes glued to the floor. “Back at the last campfire,” Emma whispered, “before we had to leave… I wanted to know… what happens next? We’re back at school. I’m the new social pariah. You’re… you’re you. What happens?”

Alyssa blinked, tears in her eyes. She took another step in. Her hand found Emma’s chin, tilting it up so Emma would meet her eyes. “I don’t know what happens,” Alyssa whispered. “But I know what I want.”

Emma gulped. “What’s that?”

Alyssa just smiled and leaned in.

It had only been a few weeks since camp, but Alyssa suddenly realized how much she missed kissing Emma Nolan. Her heart ached without Emma by her side, and she suddenly felt at ease now that they were together again. The gentle press of Emma’s lips was warm and familiar and made Alyssa feel like she could fly.

The room was quiet. There was the faint buzz of the fluorescent lights above them and the distant sound of footsteps outside in the halls. Alyssa watched as Emma’s eyes fluttered open, looking dazed.

Emma looked down at the floor again. “I—I was afraid,” she admitted, her voice quiet.

“Afraid of what?”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore. That I was just some… summer entertainment for you.”

Alyssa firmly shook her head. “Never,” she breathed. “That would never be true.”

“I think I know that now,” Emma said. “But my brain doesn’t.”

Alyssa gave a small smile. She grabbed Emma’s cheeks then stood on her tiptoes, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Can you tell your brain that I really like you, Emma Nolan. And I—I want to be with you. Whatever that means, we can figure it out.” 

Emma chewed on her bottom lip, as her face was taken over with a hesitant, breathless smile. “I guess that bracelet worked.”

“What’d you wish for?”

“You.”


End file.
